by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Gluck, USA TODAY Sports

Some fans â?? OK, mainly Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans â?? jumped to that conclusion last week after Johnson lapped Earnhardt's car after it spun out and caused a caution at Martinsville Speedway.

Johnson was leading the race at the time, but FOX TV analyst Darrell Waltrip noted Johnson could have stopped to let his Hendrick Motorsports teammate get going again and stay one lap down instead of two.

Earnhardt defended Johnson on Thursday at Texas Motor Speedway and said he "would have done the same thing Jimmie did."

"If you slow down, the guy behind you has the right to take the position," Earnhardt said. "I lost a position to (Denny) Hamlin under caution in Phoenix, so I know all about that. Jimmie, leading the race, couldn't take that chance.

"He did actually try to slow down and I think when he saw I had two left-side flat tires, it was pretty pointless for him to wait. If he stopped at all, the guys behind him could have passed him for that position. He couldn't give up that opportunity and take that chance, take that risk."

Earnhardt said he would have taken the same action because as a driver, "I've got to think about my team, my car, what I'm trying to do."

"I don't think he did it out of spite or anything like that," Earnhardt said. "He's just driving his race."

The No. 88 team's day turned sour, Earnhardt said, because the trackbar came loose on the left side. The team concluded it was improperly installed, which led to the problem.

Still, Earnhardt said his worst finish of the season - 24th - bothered him all week.

"I really didn't get over that run last week until we touched down today in Texas," he said.